Hands-Only CPR Fact Sheet

Why Learn Hands-Only CPR?

Cardiac arrest – an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and of blood to the brain, lungs and other organs – is a leading cause of death. Each year, more than 350,000 EMS-assessed outof-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States

When a person has a cardiac arrest , survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby.

According to the American Heart Association, about 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die CPR , especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival

Be the Difference for Someone You Love

If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love: a spouse, a parent or a friend

70%

Nearly 3 out of 4 of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes.

Only about 40% of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receive the immediate help that they need before professional help arrives as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest at home, at work or in public. Hands-Only CPR has just two easy steps, performed in this order:

Call 911

Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of a familiar song that has 100 to 120 beats per minute 1 2

Call 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse

The telecommunicator on the other end of the line can assist you while getting the emergency help you need on the way

Music Can Save Lives

Song examples include “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, “Hips Don’t Lie” by remember the correct rate when trained to the beat of a familiar song

When performing CPR, you should push on the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute, which corresponds to the beat of the song examples above

Learn How to Save a Life

Watch the Hands-Only CPR video at heart.org and share it with the important people in your life. Hands-Only CPR is a natural introduction to CPR, and the AHA encourages everyone to learn conventional CPR as a next step. You can find a CPR class near you at heart.org/CPR.

NOTE: The AHA still recommends CPR with compressions and breaths for infants and children and victims of drowning, drug overdose, or people who collapse due to breathing problems.

To learn more, visit heart.org.